Making a Test Tile

Wedging up about 6 1/2 lbs of Mac6 clay to begin.

For any work on the wheel, centering clay is the first step. For this Test tile we are using a 15" diameter bat. The clay will brought to the edge of this in the form of a bottomless cylinder

After Centering, spread the clay out flat similar to a plate. 

Spread clay to the edge of the bat and then begin to open. Open by pressing in the center toward the bat.  Try to keep it a funnel shape so you can see where you fingers are going.

Open the compressed ball of clay directly to the bat and making the ring bottomless. 

Starting in the center of the clay, make a funnel shape that touches down to the bat.  Slowly begin to stretch the ring to the edge of the bat, by pulling the clay toward yourself. After pulling from the center and moving the clay an inch or two, making sure to compress the wall down to the bat, so that it does not release and fly off the wheel. 

Leave extra clay at the base (interior and exterior) to form a foot with.  The foot will make it so the test tile can stand. Compress the rim and trim it if necessary to make it level. Begin to pull the walls. 

When making the first pull, remember to leave excess at the bottom for foot. Beging the pull above the excess clay by pinching and raising your hands in unison. Slow down the wheel once you start to get some height to avoid flaring the cylinder outward.  Also keep the walls vertical by pulling straight up and maybe even slightly inward.

Keep pulling the walls until the clay is evenly distributed. Here we were aiming to make the test tiles 4" tall.

Since my work is smooth, I chose to remove throwing lines from test tiles. If the test tile reflects your work surface, you will get results that transfer more directly to the idea/ surface you are searching for.

Be sure to add an undercut under the exterior foot. This makes it easier to wire, finishes the foot, and lifts the foot up to catch pooling glaze. 

Make sure to put an undercut under the inner foot. Again this gives a fresh ending to the foot and makes it easier to wire the test tiles off the bat. 

Measure test tiles for height consistency. It makes hanging them in a grid much easier. 

Adding texture gives a place for the glaze to break or show variation it would have on an edge.  I chose to add lines of texture to the top of the ring. You could stamp, sprig or carve.  Choose one texture that reflects your work. 

Make sure to cut off the ring before it firms up.
Use a wire cut off tool. Brace your thumbs on the edge of the bat and pull wire under clay, releasing it from the bat

The larger the test tile is the more information it will be able to show.  And it may help to imagine it on your work if it has more surface area.

If you want to hang the tiles on the wall, one simple way to do this is by punching a hole consistently in each tile.

After cutting sections and punching the hole, remove from bat.  I sponge off the sharpe edges lightly and bisque fire to c/06.